Georgia should take advantage of new federal funding to expand Medicaid in 2014 to boost Georgia’s economy and create tens of thousands of new jobs, all while extending health coverage to hundreds of thousands of Georgians.

A modest state investment of about 1 percent of the state budget, ($2.1 billion over the next 10 years), to bring in new federal funding will help create more than $65 billion in new economic activity in Georgia over 10 years, which will support more than 56,000 new jobs throughout state.

This new economic activity and subsequent job creation will increase state and local tax collections by more than $2.2 billion over the next 10 years.

Along with $750 million in state revenue from the insurance premium tax the state has already projected, nearly $3 billion in new revenue will come to Georgia and its cities, counties, and school districts.

We agree with Dr. Mendenhall…it is idiotic to not expand Medicaid in Georgia and on this issue, Republicans appear to be out of touch with reality.